Somewhere in Germany ("Irgendwo in Deutschland") in 1:160

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Visualising My Layout – The Benchwork

Call me crazy or mad but I believe in conceptualisation and visualisation. During my high-school days, we were taught a subject called “Industrial Arts (IA)”. In this subject, over a period of 3 years, we were taught metal works, wood works, electrical and mechanical works. I must thank my IA teachers for imparting to me the knowledge of drafting. So, instead of creating a physical prototype, I put them on papers.

Here is how I envisioned my layout, starting with the benchwork. As I mentioned earlier, real estate space is a premium to me. I measured the space I could use and at max, is a 2.4m x 1.2m layout when on “operating mode”. When not in use, the space that it takes up is only 2.4m x 0.6m. This means in “save mode”, I have saved 50% space! Hence, one of the advantages of using tilt-table construction is space-saving. In my previous blog, I have assumed a 25% space saving. This also means that the maximum height of any structure resting on the benchwork frame cannot be more that 0.6m.

I have not decided whether to add hard roller wheels so as to allow me to push them around or to use thread-bolts as support since I have uneven floors in my apartment.

By having the base frame (2.4m x 1.2m) in two equal parts, I could dismantle and transport them. Most staircases especially if you are living in an old house or apartment are pretty narrow. Trying to manoeuvre a 2.4m x 0.6 benchwork would be a real challenge. The best is to be able to take them apart when needed. A typical piano dimension is 0.5m x 1.4m. As much as I would like to follow this dimension, I am not that happy with 1.4m length given that I want to run ICE, long distance trains and freight trains.

The solid frame shows the outer border of each 1.2m x 1.2m frame. 4 Hex-bolts and T-nuts join and secure the other frame together.

The frame has supporting beams that make 4 x 4 sub-frames. The distance between supporting beams is 0.4m. Additional support legs could be added at top right and bottom right of the frame during “operating mode” to take some weight of support planks at each end.

The list part is ready and time to send to the carpenter for a quotation. Please feel free to comment. I look forward to your feedback.

P/S: And if you wondering why I did not mention the IKEA IVAR frames that I so often talked about, the idea is now shelved (pun intended!)